It’s a rare double edition of Ranger Countdown, as we follow-up our article on Devin DiDiomete below with a second profile on, yet another player who is not expected to figure prominently in the organization’s plans this year.
Defenseman Tysen Dowzak rounds out our Labor Day weekend mini-series.
Player Profile
After picking up a pro contract from the Rangers in October of 2008, Tysen Dowzak has done little to suggest that he’ll be anything other than a statistical footnote in the history books.
After just one AHL game and four games with the Checkers in 2008-09, Dowzak was reassigned back to his WHL team, the Kelowna Rockets, to finish out his junior eligibility. The Rockets welcomed him back, and made a run for the Memorial Cup, ultimately capturing the WHL title before falling to the Windsor Spitfires in the Cup final.
The 6-5 226lb defender would finish the year with no goals and just 18 assists in 81 games split between the AHL, ECHL, WHL and WHL/Memorial Cup playoffs.
Last year he switched to a pro for good, and split time between the AHL, ECHL and Central Hockey League, with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. He did finally manage to get one in the goal column for the Charlotte Checkers, registering his first goal at any level since the 2006-07 season.
Perhaps more disappointing was his inability to push for a position on the Wolf Pack, despite several injuries and a Rangers team who called several defenders during the year.
Going into this season it appears at best the towering blueliner will once again be plying his trade in the minor leagues, it just remains to be seen whether he can hold onto an ECHL position, let alone make a play for the Wolf Pack.
2009-10 Statistics
Team: Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists and 0 penalty minutes in 2 games
Team: Charlotte Checkers (ECHL)
Stats: 1 goal, 3 assists and 29 penalty minutes in 35 games
Team: Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (CHL)
Stats: 0 goals, 2 assists and 22 penalty minutes in 16 games
Prediction
Team: Greenville Road Warriors (NHL)
Stats: 0 goals, 5 assists and 45 penalty minutes in 55 games
Fun Fact
Tysen Dowzak is the first Ranger prospect to play in the CHL since Rick Kozak played for Memphis back in 2006-07.
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